Heretofore the typical lathe dog included an opening for mounting on a workpiece and one or more set screws for securing the dog to the work. The mounting opening usually was centrally located and a projecting tailpiece, which in the typical lathe dog was bent at a right angle to the body portion of the dog for cooperation with a radially slotted face plate on the lathe, completes the conventional arrangement as generally utilized in the average machine shop. Some lathe dogs have included certain safety features but these have comprised nothing more than a smooth outer surface and avoiding any projecting elements such as by recessing the set screws for securing the lathe dog to the work which might otherwise catch an operator's clothing, or cut a hand or an arm. The present invention not only avoids such dangerous projections and provides a smooth outer surface but shapes the lathe dog and mounts it on the workpiece in such a manner that an operator's hand or arm coming in contact with the safety lathe dog is pushed out of danger by a rotary sliding action obtained by the camming effect of the eccentrically mounted dog member.